


Crazy - Curtis Brothers

by eliniel



Series: Outsiders Requests [12]
Category: The Outsiders - All Media Types
Genre: Brotherly Love, Familial Love, cursing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2019-06-19
Packaged: 2020-05-15 00:54:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19284766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eliniel/pseuds/eliniel
Summary: Tumblr request for : "They're not you're kids, back the fuck off.", "I swear, I'm not crazy!" & "I feel like I can't breathe."





	Crazy - Curtis Brothers

“They’re not your kids. Back the fuck off!”

Sodapop jumped up from the couch at the sound of Darry’s voice filtering in from outside. It sounded like he was getting into with the neighbors again. The middle Curtis flew out the front door and placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder. He held out his hand, palm out, trying to diffuse the situation.

“Alright, alright g-”

“You let your little brothers and their hood friends run around this neighborhood without a care. They’re the reason that-”

“Hey, that’s enough. You don’t get to talk about my brothers or my friends like that.” She shoved her finger into his face.

“One call to the state and they’ll have you thrown into a boys’ home. Maybe then you’ll learn some goddamn manners.”

Soda shoved her hand out of his face and blocked out the sound of her voice as he grabbed ahold of Darry’s shirt and tugged. 

“Just ignore her,” he said, quietly. “She ain’t gonna do anythin’. Let’s just go inside.” His brother chewed on the inside of his mouth, glaring daggers at their next door neighbor. Finally, with a shake of his head, he threw his hands in the air and turned. 

“Fine.” He forcefully shrugged his brother off and pushed past to go inside. The middle Curtis brother followed, closing the front door behind him after one last look at the lady, standing there with her arms crossed, a mean expression on her face. Darry dropped down into his father’s armchair and put his head in his hands. 

“Why was she bitchin’ this time?” Soda asked, sliding himself into the couch cushions. The other boy rolled his eyes. 

“Couple days ago she caught Pony and Curly burnin’ each other’s fingers with a cigarette to see who was tougher.” A sigh. “And then Tim came along and knocked their heads together pretty good. Hopefully that teaches them a lesson.”

“All that,” he motioned towards the door. “All because of a little cigarette burn?”

“Yeah,” Darry answered. “Pretty stupid, right?” He shook his head and sunk further down into the chair. “God, why can’t Pony be a little more sensible?”

“He’s still young, ya know. He’s at that age,” Soda responded, laying back against the arm of the couch. He looked over at his older brother. Tired. Stressed. Sad. You name it. “You okay?”

“I could use a vacation is all. All this pressure on me all the time ever since mom and dad…” A pause. He didn’t have to continue. They both knew what he was talking about. “Sometimes I feel like I can’t breathe.” He rubbed his temples with his fingers. “That sounded so bad. You know I love you guys. I’d do anythin’ to-”

“We know,” Soda interrupted, his voice soft, understanding. He got up from the couch and cracked his knuckles. “Back rub?”

“Please,” Darry answered, a small smile. He moved himself to a dining room chair and let his brother knead his shoulders until he was able to relax.

“Me and Pony know ya gave up a lot for us, okay? I know he’s difficult, but ya know he’s still grieving. We all are in our own way.” Soda worked his brother’s muscles. He was tense- really, if they’d had the extra money, he could use a professional massage. “Why don’t ya call up your old buddies and take a nice, long ski trip? Ya know I can take care of things here.”

“I know, little buddy, but we can’t afford it right now.” He sighed again. “I just wish Pony would smarten up a bit.”

“Oh, he’s smart enough. He’s only thirteen.”

“Smart enough to hold a cigarette to his finger to prove he’s tougher than another kid?”

“Well, okay,” Soda relented. They both shared a chuckle. “Maybe he is a little crazy sometimes.”

They heard footsteps come up from the hallway. The both stopped and turned to see their youngest brother standing there, ears red.

“I swear, I’m not crazy!” he whined. 

“I think that Band-aid on your finger says otherwise, kid,” Darry said. The younger Curtis brother huffed.

“It was Curly’s idea.”

“And you went along with it, didn’t ya?”

Before he could respond, and without warning, Soda ruffled Pony’s perfectly slicked-back hair, then took off running out the front door, laughing as he went. Diffusing situations was what he was best at, afterall.

“Hey!” he heard Pony shout. There was quiet for a few seconds before- “God damnit!” Darry came barrelling out after him, grinning from ear to ear, and wiping his hands on his jeans. 

When their poor brother stepped into the doorway, his greasy hair was sticking straight up like that Alfalfa kid on TV. He looked absolutely pissed. He started flattening the spike down,

The two older boys stared at him for a few moments before the oldest couldn’t hold it in anymore. 

Soda watched as the tension in Darry’s shoulders visibly vanished as he started laughing. A good, hearty, stomach-cramping laugh that made tears spring to his eyes. It made Soda laugh, too. 

When Ponyboy had gotten his strands back in place, he huffed again, but when he turned to go back inside, the unmistakable uptilt of his lips graced his face. 

“Screw you guys.”


End file.
